Rotating grain-measurer



(No Model.)

J. W. KERSHAW, Jr. ROTATING GRAIN MEASURE.

Patented Nov. 3

. lNVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS UNiTEn STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN TV. KERSIIAV, JR, OF BURNSIDE, IOlVA.

ROTATING GRAlN-MEASURER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 462,56 0,dated November 3, 1891. Application filed April 2, 1891- Serial No. 387,360- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN \V. KERSHAW, Jr., of Burnside, in the county of \Vebster and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Grain-Measuring Machine,of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved grain-measu ring machine which is simple and durable in construction, very effective and automatic in operation, and more especially designed for use in connection with thrashing-machines to measure the grain as it leaves the latter.

The invention consists of a revoluble grainreceptacle having several compartments, of which one is adapted to be filled at a time while another is discharging, and a hopper discharging into the filling-compartments and provided with a wheel driven from a main shaft adapted to intermittently revolve the grain-receptacle.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be hereina ter fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement on the line 00 x of Fig. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 11 y of Fig. 3. the same, and Fig. 4. is an enlarged end view of the tripping device. Figs. 5 and (3 are details illustrating the operation of the trigger and trip-head.

The improved grain-measuring machine is provided with a grainreceptacle A, preferably made in cylindrical form, open at the top and bottom, and formed with two, three, or more compartments A, A and A. The lower ends of the compartments are adapted to engage a bottom B, part of which is cut out for the purpose of discharging the grain from one of the compartments at a time.

The receptacle A is mounted on a shaft 0, the lower end of which is journaled in the said fixed bottom B, while the upper end has its bearing in a hopper D, having its crosssection corresponding to the cross-section of one of the compartments A, A or A of the Fig. is a plan view of grain receptacle A. The lower ends of the com )artments A A and A are ada ted to discharge alternately into a trough E, arranged alongside the cut-out portion of the bottom 15. (See Fig. 52.)

The grain to be measured is discharged into the hopper D from the thrashing-machine. \Vithin the hopper D is held the rimless wheel F, secured on a shaft G, mounted to turn in suitable bearings and carrying a sprocketwheel G, over which passes a sprocket-chain G also passing over a sprocket-wheel G, mounted to turn loosely on a drive-shaft II, held to rotate continuously in suitable bearings secured to one side of the trough E, previously mentioned. The shaft II has a sprocket II orother gear adapted to be drawn from any suitable source of power. One face of the sprocket-wheel G is formed with clutch-teeth G adapted to be engaged by clutch-teeth I, held on awheel I, mounted to turn with and to slide on the. shaft H. A spring I presses against the face of the wheel I, so as to hold the clutch-teeth I in contact with the clutch-teeth G to rotate the sprocketwheel G when the shaft II is rotated. The spring I is preferably coiled on the shaft II and rests with its outer end on a collar 1 secured on the said shaft. The tension of the spring I is such that when the shaft H is rotated the wheel I, with its clutch-teeth 1 engaging the clutch-teeth G rotates the sprocket- -wheel G so as to impart movement to the chain G to revolve the sprocket-wheel G, the shaft G, and the wheel F. Now when the motion of the latter is interrupted by accumulating grain, as hereinafter more fully described, and the sprocket-wheel G is held stationary, on the further rotation of the shaft H the clutch-teeth I glide over the clutclrteeth G so that the wheel I is moved to the left against the tension of the spring 1 The rim of the wheel I engages a groove J, formed in a lug J, secured ona rod J mounted to slide longitudinally in suitable hearings on one side of the trough E. On this rod J is formed asceond lug J adapted to engage a spring-pressed yielding trigger K, pivoted on one face of a gear-wheel L, held looselyon the shaft Hand meshing into a bevel gear-wheel N, secured on the lower end of the shaft 0 of the grainreeeptacle A. The trigger K is provided with a lug K in the path of a projection on a trip- ICO head 0, secured on the shaft H to turn therewith, so that when the trigger K is released by the lug J the said trip-head 0 turns the trigger K once around. As the trigger K is fastened to the gear-wheel L, the latter is rotated and by meshing into the gear-wheel N causes a rotation of the receptacle A corresponding to one-third of its circumference, so that the respective compartments A, A and A change position. hen the trigger-lug K engages the trip projection, however, prior to the release of the trigger by the lug J the trigger K will yield against the action of its spring 7c and permit the rotation of the driveshaft and its trip-head without rotating it until said lug J 3 is moved away from the trigger, in which case the trigger-spring 75 will hold it against yielding and with sufficient force to permit the trip-head to rotate the trigger, the other parts being operated by it.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen the device is in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, the receptacle A is under the hopperD, and the grain passing into the latter from the thrashing-machine accumulates in the said compartment A, fills the same, and also aocumulates in the hopper D to finally engage the revolving wheel F, so that the latter is stopped, which causes the stopping of the sprocket-wheel G and a consequent sidewise sliding of the wheel I, as previously described. The sliding movement of the Wheel I on the shaft II shifts the bar or rod J so that the trigger K is released, and .the trip-head 0 re volves thetrigger K once, whereby the receptacle A is turned and the compartment A takes the position which the compartment A had previously had. It will of course be understood that the drive-shaft rotates a number of times while the receptacle is being filled, and that during this time the trigger yields whenever its projection is struck by the trip-head, so as not to rotate the hopper D until a receptacle has been filled. The trip-head 0 will carry the trigger around with it until the lug J is brought back into position by the spring 1 and then the trigger will yield to the trip-head projection until'the lug J is again moved from under it. In case the compartment A had previously been filled it would now discharge into the trough E as the said compartment A moves over the trough E. The compartment A by the revolving of the grain-receptacle A, moves under the hopper D to be filled by the incoming grain in the manner above described. The operation is then repeated.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a grain-measuring machine, the combination, with a revolnble grain-receptacle having several compartments, of which one is adapted to be filled at a time while another one discharges, of a hopper discharging into the filling-compartments of the said receptacle, a wheel held in the said hopper and the filling-compartments of the said receptacle, a wheel held in the said hopper and adapted to be stopped by the accumulating grain, a main driving-shaft adapted to revolve the said wheel, and also adapted to impart an intermittent motion to the grain-receptacle, and intermediate mechanism for loosely connecting the said wheel in the hopper with the said main driving-shaft, substantially as 1 shown and described.

3. In a grain-measuring machine the combination, with a grain-receptacle mounted to revolve and formed with several compartments, of which one is adapted to be filled while another is discharged, of a gear-wheel held on the shaft of the said grain-receptacle, a pinion in mesh with the said gear-wheel and provided with a trigger, a main drivingshaft on which the said pinion is mounted to rotate loosely, and a trip-head held on the said main driving-shaft and adapted to connect with the trigger on the said pinion, substan tially as shown and described.

4. In a grain-measuring machine, the combination, with a grain-receptacle mounted to revolve and formed with several compartments, of which one is adapted to be filled while another is discharged, of a gear-wheel held on the shaft of the said grain-receptacle, a pinion in mesh with the said gear-wheel and provided with a trigger, a main drivingshaft on which the said pinion is mounted to rotate loosely, a trip-head held on the said main driving-shaft and adapted to connect with the trigger on the said pinion, a bar having projections and adapted to lock or unlock the said trigger, a springpressed wheel held to slide on and to rotate with the said main driving-shaft, the said wheel being adapted to actuate the said bar, a sprocketwheel mounted torot-ate loosely on the said main shaft and provided with clutch-teeth adapted to be engaged by clutch-teeth on the said wheel, a second shaft carrying a sprocketwheel connected by a chain with the said first-named sprocket-wheel, a rimless wheel held on the said second shaft, and a hopper in which is held the said rimless wheel and.

which is adapted to register with one of the said compartments of the grain-receptacle, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN W. KERSIIAIV, JR.'

Witnesses:

JOHN R. OONKLIN, J OHN HAMMERLY. 

